Tag Archives: Riley Blake knit

Inspired by all of the wonderful makes being shared on Instagram this month for the Me Made May event, I made a simple t-shirt dress last week. Three weeks ago or more, I spied this black and white knit fabric at Ben Franklin’s. It was 20% off which made it a good deal. When I first saw it, I thought it would be a cute t-shirt. However, once I got ready to cut it out, I realized I had more than enough for a dress.

Because I liked the fit of the Blanc t-shirt I made with that mauve fabric, it seemed reasonable to just extend the length of the pattern and create a dress. I figured if it didn’t look right, I could trim the length and wear it as a shirt. Once I had the pattern pieces and fabric laid out, I took an old t-shirt dress I have worn for the last couple of summers and put it on top to determine the length and width of the lower part of the dress.

After cutting it out, it is just a couple of seams to put it together. The neckline is finished with bias tape and each seam is finished with a wide zig zag stitch. (I know, I should have used the serger but it is in the shop. A story for another post!)

Once I had the shoulder seams together, I slipped it on and saw the length was a bit shorter than I wanted. I debated adding a block of solid black to the bottom for length but honestly, I didn’t feel like driving to the store. (Living where we do, a run to Ben Franklin is about a 20 mile round trip.) Instead, I finished the hemline with the same black bias tape. That way I didn’t lose any length to turning under the fabric for a hem. It worked really well and made it just long enough to wear.

Overall, I like the dress. The fit isn’t perfect but I will enjoy wearing it. I have really been enjoying making things to wear lately. Me Made May was a great way to jump back into garment sewing. How about you? Do you have the itch to make something too? I have a pair of pants in process that I am unsure about. The seem like they are going to fit well but the fabric is very soft and I fear they are going to look like pajama pants. If this is the case, well I guess I will have a new pair of pj pants! We shall see.

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Welcome to Needle and Foot!

I am Bernie, a wife, mom, quilter, fabric shop owner, and gardener, living in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California. My blog features my quilting, sewing and crafting experiences as well as a bit of random family musings. Glad you have stopped by!

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